Rise of the Devil - Part 9

 

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Chapter 9



Khushi’s POV


No. This can’t be possible. I am dreaming. This is all my hallucination otherwise. Arnav and DEVIL KING? Impossible. But when I see each and every one bowing their heads before Arnav, my heart drums in my ears. I turn to Dad to see his reactions and he looks shattered but that’s not by knowing Arnav’s real identity. I can read dad that much. He knew it.. !! He knew it all the time who Arnav was. Now I know why Dad always gave special treatment to him. Now I know why he stays in a specially designed villa instead of the servant quarters. Now I know why Dad never ignored his suggestions, his commands. But why this façade? Why did Arnav pretend to be Dad’s bodyguard when he could have easily ruled this place? Now I know why Buaji always asked me to stay away from him? Now I know why Dad believed only the Devil to protect me and keep me safe. Damn, this is scary.. Since now I know why he is called the Devil.. Because HE IS ONE!! HE is the DEVIL KING!!

 Only when my vision blurs, I realize I am crying. I don’t even know since when and why? Wait!! I know why. It is just not the revelation of he being the Devil King, that has threatened me. It’s because now.. he has marked me his by applying the Sindoor. My fingers touch the vermillion and then I gaze at it, with cold brooded eyes. There was a time when I thought I could escape this place, elope from here and get my freedom. There was a time when I almost believed the Devil can be lured to help me in this game plan. There was a moment when I actually felt like it could be more between me and the Devil.. There was attraction between us always and it gave me hopes that my freedom wasn’t far away. Now, I know I am freedom is far beyond my reach. It was never in my life. Just a mirage which I assumed I could reach someday. For a woman who wanted to exit this dark world, now became the DEVIL QUEEN, as they call.


Something is happening inside me. I don’t know how to name this feeling. It’s weird and making me weak. Am I fainting? I .. I.. No..


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Arnav’s POV

“Khushi” Shashi Gupta’s shout forces me to turn behind and there I see Khushi trying to balance her body but not for long. She faints and is about to collapse on the floor when I grab her waist and pull her to me. She watches me horridly with her half-opened eyes and then shut them becoming unconscious.

It’s not easy for what she saw and heard today. My identity has shook her and more than that, the tag of our new relation hereon has shattered her soul. But marrying her was the only choice I had to stop her from fleeing this place, to stop her from getting married to Samrat Gujral and most importantly to stop her from looking for more suitors going forward. I don’t think I could have tolerated letting any other man gawk her the way no one else should apart from me!!


“Take her inside” Shashi Gupta shouts and before anyone else could snatch this woman from my arms, I carry her myself while the rest keep bowing their heads behind us, as I make my way back to Chandra Mahal. Laying Khushi on the bed, I give her a thorough gaze, especially to that bright Sindoor which shines on her head. Mine!!


I get back on my feet, pull out my smartphone and dial a number.


“I have revealed my identity” I say as soon as the call connects. “I am not hiding anymore. Let the war begin”

I stare back at Khushi who is still unconscious, knowing this isn’t enough. We are yet to take the seven Pheras and complete the other rituals and I wouldn’t delay that.


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I am back at my Villa. It takes an hour for my guards to secure Chandra Mahal again, forcing everyone else who were here to attend the wedding, back to their respective homes, including the Gujrals. I know the Gujrals will be the first ones to backfire when they get a chance but I am prepared for that. What surprises me is the fact that despite being between these people from the last 5 years, no one ever got to know my real identity. Now that know who I am, I am hoping for more fireworks in our dark world!! And I can’t wait to finish what I have started years ago!! Tonight calls for a celebration for sure but hold on!! It’s not that simple anymore. I didn’t just introduce myself to the dark world. I also introduced my Queen!! Damn hell!! I claimed my queen before them.. I shouldn’t have done that!! I bang my fist on the glass table so hard that the glass breaks into pieces and my fist bleeds. Marriage was the last thing in my mind!! It has never been my motive at all. And marriage to Shashi Gupta’s daughter, Khushi – Never!! I have no idea what came in my mind that I didn’t even bother anything or anyone else and made Khushi my wife!!

“Arnav” Shashi Gupta roars barging in the room. He doesn’t look happy but the moment he sees blood in my hands, he lowers his tone and grabs my arm. “You can’t be that reckless”

He tries to drag me to get this wound treated but I don’t move an inch.

“That wasn’t planned” I blurt. “I never wanted to involve Khushi”

He drops my hand and groans looking away.

“Is there a point now to argue over this?” He asks. “Do you have any idea you have dragged my daughter to the center of this dark world now and each and every enemy we have so far will be targeting her. Know why? Because she is now the Devil Queen!! Why do you think I never thought of making you my son-in-law? This..!” He groaned. “This is why I didn’t Arnav. Because I love my daughter too much to see her die and now because of YOU…” he swallowed painfully. “She will become bait every single time”

“SHE WONT” I snap harder and louder. “I know I should have been more thoughtful before taking this step today but I promise you one thing. Anyone even thinks to hurt the Devil Queen, won’t be lucky to live the next day. And you know when a Devil King promises something, no force on this earth can stop it from happening”


Shashi Gupta’s swollen eyes pulls a string of my heart. This man means everything to me. He is a father to me..!! Heck!! Now he is my father-in-law. I can feel what he is going through knowing what risk his daughter is at but I swear on every fiber in my body, I am going to keep her alive, even if I have to kill the whole damn world.

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Khushi’s POV


It’s dark. Everything is dark but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am happy. I keep walking. No, this time I am running. I cannot wait to reach the end of this tunnel and see the light. Faster Khushi. Faster. My inner subconscious boosts. I am trying. I will reach there and see the light. No one can stop me. No one this time!! I am hardly few feet away when I feel a pull behind. Someone has caught my Dupatta and my neck hurts with its force. I stop and turn around. I can’t see who has stopped me, I only see his fingers holding the ends of my Dupatta and when I raise my gaze, I see his face.. DEVIL!

“Noooo” I scream aloud waking up. It was a dream. A nerve shuddering dream.

“Khushi” Buaji grips my shoulder and forces me to lie down again. “You shouldn’t get up.”

I scan the room and realize I am in my own bed. But it’s suddenly hot and I am burning.

“Buaji, I am burning” I choke. My throat is parched and I am thirsty. So very thirsty that I can drink the whole well.

She quickly hands me a glass of water. I swallow it, coughing out a bit. She strokes my back asking me to drink slowly and I follow. The burning doesn’t go away. It’s from the inside.. I realize I am in a wedding dress. Is that why I am feeling so hot?

“You have high fever. The doctor has asked you to rest”

“fever?” I mutter. “I was fine until..”

Flashes of the incident where Arnav revealed his identity making me his wife, claims my head making me breathless.

“Oh my God” I shout. “He .. He is the Devil King?”

Buaji quickly strokes my back as I cry cuddling her hard.

“It’s okay. You should lie down. Sleep for some time” She keeps saying but nothing feels right at this moment.

“I am burning” I mumble weakly. She pulls me away and cups my face.

“I will help you change your outfit. Hold on”

I hardly do anything. It’s just Buaji who takes all the effort to undress me and change into a comfortable cotton nighty. She unties my hair and braids it. BRAID? That’s old fashion but I feel my head at ease which was aching badly until I took the medicines she gave before helping me change. She then feeds me some bland soup and bread. My mouth has no taste. I have never been this sick like I am tonight.

“Sleep now” She kisses my forehead and puts a fake smile. I know she is upset, worried, angered and hell scared for me. So am I!! She shuts the lamp and is about to leave when I hold her hand.

“Don’t leave me Buaji. Please don’t leave me alone”

Tears pool in her eyes and she decides to stay back. I lie down and close my eyes while Buaji keeps stroking my arm and head.

****************

Arnav’s POV – Next Morning


Fever!! Khushi got fever and I am the one responsible for it. Last night I couldn’t sleep knowing she was burning with high temperature. I wanted to see her badly but I know doing so would scare her more. So, I restricted myself but not this morning. I have every right to know her condition now. I am inside Chandra Mahal where Shashi Gupta is doing his morning prayers.. not my cup of tea. I have stopped believing God years ago. This is one of the reasons why despite Shashi Gupta’s insistence on joining him during the prayers, I never obeyed his words. I walk past him, straight to Khushi’s room upstairs. I should knock but what if she is sleeping? I don’t want to disturb her sleep. It’s hardly 06:00 am and I know she likes waking up late. I step behind altering my plans but my heart doesn’t let me walk away. So without further thoughts I push the door open and there she is!! Sleeping on the bed.


I walk inside, giving full attention to her form. She has pushed away the duvet from her body revealing the flowery design knee-length cotton nighty which she is dressed into. Her eyes and face look swollen but I know she will be fine soon once she starts accepting the reality. I have always seen her eyes dazzle when I was around. She has always showed interest in me and that wont fade ever. So I don’t think she will have a real deal to handle this new relationship between us except the freedom part. I reach the bed and touch her forehead with the back of my palm to check if she still has fever. The touch wakes her up and she almost jolts back as she sees me.

“Don’t be scared… It’s ME” I try to touch her again, not wanting to scare her this time but she keeps moving behind, almost reaching the edge of the bed.

“It’s YOU!! That’s why I am scared” She snaps continuing to move back. I quickly lean down and grabbing her feet, I pull her back to me. She struggles to free herself, hitting me with her tiny fists. What the hell!! She is putting up a physical fight with me? ME?

“Stop” I growl but she doesn’t and it forces me to lunge forward and pin both her hands to the bed, with me hovering on her.

She stills and so do I, both breathing hard.

“You can’t fight me” I warn.

“Feed me my breakfast and then see what I am capable of Werewolf” she growls harder.

I realize she might be hungry and her body already weak by the fever she had last night. But I don’t like her challenge. It only proves that nothing from here is ever going to be easy between us. The woman I am married to.. is a rebel and the whole dark world knows how brutally I fight to win!!


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

Note: Short Part. But this whole week I will be able to post such short updates only. Hope you all dont mind. 

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